WP3: Titanic’s Voyage in India
TITANIC- the colossal, enormous ship that met its demise in its very first voyage found itself as the setting of a romantic-disaster directed by James Cameron in 1997. Featuring Leonardo DiCaprio (Jack) and Kate Winslet (Rose) in leads entangled in a romantic struggle, the film shifts focus from the tragedy of the Titanic onto the love story. Some may say that Titanic was focused on the romantic drama of Rose and Jack, but in essence, when looking at its success story in India, it gained recognition for the deeper societal issues of class and gender conflict it professed, which was portrayed in a manner opposing its typical notion.
Well, to provide a broader context, the film was primarily based for the US and the UK. It rekindled events from the traumatic experience of the Titanic, with a twist of Cameron’s directing and story writing marvel. In fact, James Hibbert from the EW states, “James Cameron’s dialogue in Titanic is actually great.” That’s what helped it highlight the so called “love” between Jack and Rose. The iconic line “You Jump, I Jump” epitomises the entire romantic theme Cameron strives to portray. To add to that, the scene (Jack and Rose on the bowsprit of the Titanic) has carried its legacy till date. Several couples have tried remaking this instance, as a showcase of their love.
However, while comparing the translation of this characteristic of the film in India, it did not meet its potential. Each Hollywood entry into India is faced with intense competition from the Mumbai based Bollywood Film Industry. The film seemed to be a Hollywood adaption of a widely successful film of Aamir Khan, ‘Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’ according to Filmfare. It’s based on a similar love triangle, with families opposing this relation and a struggle along the lines. Most thought it was at par, but in India, with a strong orthodox censor board, most of the sexual scenes were cut, leaving a puzzled impression for the audience. The effectiveness of the story dwindled away with the censorship, shifting focus onto issues that were less significant in the Western World.
Delving on the cultural issue of class distinction, which elegantly translated into the Indian society, making Titanic one of the highest grossing Hollywood films in the country. Jack, a poorer British national, is set to make a new life in the United States and wins a ticket for the Titanic while gambling at a pub, while Rose, an aristocrat British, onboard in the epitome of luxury with her fiancé. Firstly, the Titanic (originally set forth for NYC from Southampton in 1912) distinctly separated different classes of society. The decks, fine dine experiences, and recreational activities solely reserved for the wealthy that resided on the upper decks of the ship, while the lower class were cramped in 4 person bunkers, most of them below the sea level. What particularly amused the Indian audience was the ability Jack possessed. Jumping onboard the Titanic with a few nickels in hand and entangling with a sophisticated lady like Rose appealed to them.
To add to that, the scene comprising an Irish dance (with travellers in coach) in the cargo hold of the Titanic highlights Jacks ability to captivate the upper class, . There is a notion in India of always apple-polishing the upper class. Even though Jack does not intentionally do it, the impression of it is certainly created. He, in fact, was able to do quite the opposite, of making an upper class lady woo him (which seemed odd from the Indian standpoint, but provided another perspective to this issue). It helped elevate the character DiCaprio played and created a sense of aspiration for majority of the Indian population to strive for this feat. In fact, the blend in the lifestyles showcased through this scene helped bridge the divide between the two sections of society. On the other hand, Rose being able to adapt to the change also showcases the overriding theme of the power of love, but also addresses the societal norms of female struggle. India, being a commonwealth nation, faced a similar discrimination between men and women, with the former having controlling power in most situations. Cameron elegantly addresses this issue with giving Rose control of the entire situation, the ability to choose her partner (opposing customs of the British and Indian society) and making her the lead protagonist of the film.
Despite that, I do question to ponder over, “Why were other films unsuccessful in bringing out these issues?” The “190-million-dollar chic-flick” as Buzz feed addresses it, used a love story as the primary dramatic engine. The ever-glowing pairing of Winslet and DiCaprio helped portray these issues with a constant reaffirmation from the love angle, that helped it translate to a wider audience more effectively. Cameron’s choice of oration, with real footage from the Titanic debris at the bottom of the Atlantic too helped create an impression of realism, which emphasis these issues to a greater extent.
Moreover, James Cameron took a romantic drama, primarily for English speaking audience in the US and Europe, to the rest of the world. The film is one of the highest grossing films till date, earning a whopping $1.8 billion. In fact, the film was also translated into several local languages in India (close to 15 different), reaching every nook and corner of the country. Despite the language change, the film propagated strong messages in all realms, captivating all sections of society.
Citations:
https://ew.com/movies/titanic-james-cameron-quotes/
https://www.filmfare.com/features/profiling-marketing-genuis-aamir-khan-on-his-birthday-12590-3.html
